Reforestation Sites Research Articles

Continuous Spectrum LEDs Promote Seedling Quality Traits and Performance of Quercus ithaburensis var. macrolepis.

Regulation of the growth, development, and quality of plants by the control of light quality has attracted extensive attention worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of continuous LED spectrum for indoor plant pre-cultivation and to investigate the morphological and physiological responses of a common broadleaved tree species in Mediterranean environment, Quercus ithaburensis var. macrolepis at seedling developmental stage. Thus, the seedlings were pre-cultivated for 28 days, under five different LED light qualities: (1) Fluorescent (FL) as control light (2) L20AP67 (high in green and moderate in far-red), (3) AP673L (high in green and red), (4) G2 (highest in red and far-red), AP67 (high in blue, red, and far-red), and (5) NS1 (highest in blue and green and lowest in far-red) LEDs. Further examination was held at the nursery for 1 year, on several seedling quality traits. Indeed, AP67 and AP673L triggered higher leaf formation, while L20AP67 positively affected seedling shoot development. NS1 and AP67 LED pre-cultivated seedlings showed significantly higher root fibrosity than those of FL light. Furthermore, NS1 and AP673L LEDs induced fourfold increase on seedling root dry weight than FL light. Hence, evaluating the seedling nursery performance attributes, most of those photomorphogenetic responses previously obtained were still detectable. Even more so, LED pre-cultivated seedlings showed higher survival and faster growth indicating better adaptation even under natural light conditions, a fact further reinforced by the significantly higher Dickson’s quality index acquired. In conclusion, the goal of each nursery management program is the production of high quality seedlings with those desirable traits, which in turn satisfy the specific needs for a particular reforestation site. Thus, the enhanced oak seedling quality traits formed under continuous LEDs spectrum especially of NS1 and AP673L pre-cultivation may potentially fulfill this goal.

Proposal for nutritional management in Cedrela montana Moritz ex Turcz

Non-synthetic fertilizers (FNS) have a great potential to increase the competitiveness of forest plants for a variety of reforestation sites, from open to avenues in large cities. However, there is an unusual knowledge about them. In order to use the FNS successfully, its formulation and its effects on the morphometric variables (percentage of coverage, %), and how dimensionless measures of the degree of coverage of cup, cup index, life space index, cup amount and degree of slenderness, which are determined with a biweekly frequency and the growth analyzed starting from the accumulation of biomass (biomass increase in time - IBT, rate of relative growth - TCR and energy efficiency) to determine the biomass dry in two moments, at the beginning and at the end of the study period. This work synthesizes types of FNS (organic, mineral and biological origin) and several researches associated with their use, are found as objects of study, once we can see the homogeneity between the different treatments at the same time but varies from one moment to the evaluation of a moment and a water loss in the determination of dry biomass in some cases, 50 % of the fresh mass, mainly in those plants, leaves were in the juvenile state. Only favorable differences have been found in those that were treated with mineralization in bandwidth one.

Survivorship and Growth Performance of <i>Shorea macrophylla</i> (de Vriese) after Enrichment Planting for Reforestation Purpose at Sarawak, Malaysia

Reforestation may offer one means of mitigating the processes of forest land degradation and is indispensable in an effort to conserve forest biological diversity in the tropics. Thus, a preliminary assessment was conducted in order to evaluate the survivorship and growth performance of Shorea macrophylla (de Vriese) after enrichment planting for reforestation purpose in Sarawak, Malaysia. This study was conducted at reforestation sites located at Sampadi Forest Reserve, Sarawak, Malaysia where indigenous Dipterocarp species, S. macrophylla (de Vriese) were planted by line planting system. Study sites were established at reforestation areas at different age stands; (planted in the year 1996; SM96, 1997; SM97, 1998; SM98 and 1999; SM99). The assessment on the growth performance of planted S. macrophylla was evaluated by measuring the trees total height, Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) and calculation of the percentage of survival. The findings indicated a positive tree growth in terms of growth performance and survival which clarified the efficacy of line planting technique adapted in the studied sites. Growth performance in terms of survivability; Mean Annual Increment of Height (MAIH) and Diameter (MAID) in SM96 revealed the highest growth rate as compared to SM97, SM98 and SM99. For the average tree height and diameter at breast height, the results showed that the tree height and diameter in SM96 were 11.8 m and 14.7 cm, respectively. Meanwhile, SM99 recorded the lowest average tree height and diameter reading with 8.8 m and 6.6 cm, respectively. Nonetheless, high survival percentage of S. macrophylla were depicted in this study with 89% of survival in SM96, followed by 80, 82 and 57% in SM97, SM98 and SM99, respectively. Substantial growth performance and high survival percentage of S. macrophylla implied that microclimate condition such as competition between planted and existing pioneer species of the study sites may have affected the tree growth performance of the planted S. macrophylla. Notwithstanding, further studies are essential in order to find out the plant-soil association of S. macrophylla where other environmental factors may affect the growth and survival of the planted species.

ROÇAGEM E APLICAÇÃO DE HERBICIDA PARA CONTROLE DE<i> Megathyrsus maximus</i>: DANOS SOBRE A VEGETAÇÃO PREEXISTENTE EM UM REFLORESTAMENTO DE 20 ANOS

A necessidade de controlar gramíneas exóticas em áreas de restauração ecológica por longos prazos pode acarretar elevados custos econômicos, danos colaterais à regeneração e danos menos óbvios ao ecossistema. Assim, dimensionar estes fatores negativos como parte do esforço para avaliar a razão custo/benefício das técnicas de controle dessas espécies, se faz necessário. Este estudo objetivou avaliar os danos causados por duas técnicas de controle de capim-colonião (Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B. K. Simon & S. W. L. Jacobs), sobre a regeneração preexistente (custos ambientais), em um reflorestamento de 20 anos, e estimar os custos econômicos do emprego dessas técnicas. Trinta parcelas de 10 x 20 m foram distribuídas em três grupos: (T1) controle, (T2) roçagem com roçadeiras costais e (T3) roçagem seguida da aplicação de herbicida à base de glifosato. Foi feito o inventário permanente de todos os indivíduos arbóreos e arbustivos, os quais foram acompanhados durante o período de um ano. Não houve diferença na mortalidade imposta pela roçagem inicial, tampouco na mortalidade imposta exclusivamente pela roçagem ou pelo herbicida no T3. Após um ano, não houve diferenças entre a mortalidade e a riqueza de espécies dos três grupos. Quando os três grupos foram comparados entre si após um ano, para as plantas > 1 m, houve redução da abundância no T1 e redução da riqueza no T3; já para as plantas < 1 m, houve redução da abundância no T2, e redução da abundância e riqueza no T3. Portanto, tais técnicas parecem afetar mais fortemente as plantas < 1 m. O custo econômico final do T2 foi 34,1% maior do que o custo do T3, e mesmo que o custo para se realizar novas intervenções diminua para ambos, há aumento dos custos quando ocorre necessidade de intervenções esparsas em áreas pequenas. Ambas as técnicas são indicadas para controlar o capim-colonião, sendo que o uso de herbicida à base de glifosato deve ser restrito às áreas com baixa cobertura de dossel, por demandarem mais manutenções, e por ser a técnica mais prejudicial à regeneração, já que houve alta mortalidade de indivíduos de pequeno porte (73%) em áreas com densa infestação da gramínea (100%).

Morpho-Physiological Variation of White Spruce Seedlings from Various Seed Sources and Implications for Deployment under Climate Change.

Because of changes in climatic conditions, tree seeds originating from breeding programs may no longer be suited to sites where they are currently sent. As a consequence, new seed zones may have to be delineated. Assisted migration consists of transferring seed sources that match the future climatic conditions to which they are currently adapted. It represents a strategy that could be used to mitigate the potential negative consequences of climate change on forest productivity. Decisions with regard to the choice of the most appropriate seed sources have to rely on appropriate knowledge of morpho-physiological responses of trees. To meet this goal, white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) seedlings from eight seed orchards were evaluated during two years in a forest nursery, and at the end of the first growing season on three plantation sites located in different bioclimatic domains in Quebec. The morpho-physiological responses obtained at the end of the second growing season (2+0) in the nursery made it possible to cluster the orchards into three distinct groups. Modeling growth curves of these different groups showed that the height growth of seedlings from the second-generation and southern first-generation seed orchards was significantly higher than that of those from other orchards, by at least 6%. A multiple regression model with three climatic variables (average growing season temperature, average July temperature, length of the growing season) showed that the final height of seedlings (2+0) from the first-generation seed orchards was significantly related to the local climatic conditions at the orchard sites of origin where parental trees from surrounding natural populations were sampled to provide grafts for orchard establishment. Seedling height growth was significantly affected by both seed source origins and planting sites, but the relative ranking of the different seed sources was maintained regardless of reforestation site. This knowledge could be used, in conjunction with transfer models, to refine operational seed transfer rules and select the most suitable sites in an assisted migration strategy.

The responses of Scots pine seedlings to waterlogging in a fine-textured till soil

Growth decline of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on reforestation sites with fine-textured soils are suggested to be due to periodic soil wetness. In this study, Scots pine seedlings were exposed to waterlogging in fine-textured till soil in growth chambers. The treatments started 5 weeks after germination and lasted either for 3 or 8.5 weeks. Three weeks in water-saturated soil affected negatively the root length, root surface area, root volume, the number of root tips, the length of the longest root, root dry mass, the root to shoot ratio, needle water and nitrogen content, and the apoplastic electrical resistance of the stem. The changes by 3 weeks exposure were recoverable since most of the attributes returned to the level of controls when the oxygen content returned to a normoxic level. In contrast, detrimental, but not lethal, effects of water saturation were observed after exposure for 8.5 weeks. Additional effects of prolonged exposure were a decrease in the potential efficiency of photosystem II, the distribution of absorbed light energy between light reactions and the release as heat by chlorophyll fluorescence, and the chlorophyll content index of the needles. We conclude that prolonged water saturation of fine-textured soil is detrimental to the development of Scots pine seedlings which should be considered in practical forest regeneration.

Models of reforestation productivity and carbon sequestration for land use and climate change adaptation planning in South Australia

Environmental management and regional land use planning has become more complex in recent years as growing world population, climate change, carbon markets and government policies for sustainability have emerged. Reforestation and agroforestry options for environmental benefits, carbon sequestration, economic development and biodiversity conservation are now important considerations of land use planners. New information has been collected and regionally-calibrated models have been developed to facilitate better regional land use planning decisions and counter the limitations of currently available models of reforestation productivity and carbon sequestration. Surveys of above-ground biomass of 264 reforestation sites (132 woodlots, 132 environmental plantings) within the agricultural regions of South Australia were conducted, and combined with spatial information on climate and soils, to develop new spatial and temporal models of plant density and above-ground biomass productivity from reforestation. The models can be used to estimate productivity and total carbon sequestration (i.e. above-ground + below-ground biomass) under a continuous range of planting designs (e.g. variable proportions of trees and shrubs or plant densities), timeframes and future climate scenarios. Representative spatial models (1 ha resolution) for 3 reforestation designs (i.e. woodlots, typical environmental planting, biodiverse environmental plantings) × 3 timeframes (i.e. 25, 45, 65 years) × 4 possible climates (i.e. no change, mild, moderate, severe warming and drying) were generated (i.e. 36 scenarios) for use within land use planning tools.

Effects of mounding and soil clay content on postplanting success of Norway spruce

Effective soil preparation by mounding is a common practice that precedes the outplanting of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in Finland, because of the improved survival and early growth of seedlings. On fine-grained soils, however, the postplanting performance of seedlings with mounding has been poorer than on coarser soils. The ecology of seedling growth and the effects of mounding on it on sorted fine-grained soils are still poorly known.This study examined the effects of mounding and soil clay content on the postplanting performance of Norway spruce container seedlings on soils ranging from medium-grained tills to fine-grained sorted clay soils in reforested sites in south-western Finland. First, regeneration results were inventoried on five plantations of differing soil texture. These reforestation sites had been mounded and planted with Norway spruce five to six years earlier through practical forest management. Secondly, mounding treatments (normal ditch mounding with a mound height of 15–25cm, ditch mounding with a lowered mound height of 5–10cm, spot mounding and unprepared treatment) were applied on five clearcut sites with different soil textures. These sites were mounded in the autumn and planted in the following spring, and the postplanting performance was measured after three growing seasons.The results showed that mounding decreases early postplanting seedling mortality and increases growth, thus promoting plantation establishment on forest soils with varying soil textures. The mounding method or mound height showed no clear difference in seedling growth in the studied soils and years. Early postplanting seedling height growth and survival (three years from planting) were slightly and root-collar diameter a bit better related to the soil clay content; the seedling attributes tended to be poorest on silty soils with a clay content of 20–30% (or silt and fine sand content of over 60%), compared with coarser or finer (clayey) soils. The results suggest that even effective soil preparation cannot fully alleviate all of the inherent disadvantageous effects of sorted silty soils on early postplanting and later growth; but corroborative research is still needed.

“Active” hydroponic greenhouse system to kick-start and augment reforestation program through carbon sequestration – an experimental and theoretical feasibility study

Besides promoting biodiversity, a reforestation program plays an important role in carbon capture and sequestration. However, the need to develop tree saplings well before they can be deployed on reforestation sites can delay the start of the sequestration process. This study proposed a way to reduce this time wastage by creating and erecting a special hydroponic greenhouse system on the reforestation site, while waiting for the saplings to be ready. While in service, this system makes use of an “active” mode of removing carbon dioxide from distributed and stationary sources, such as onsite generators that are widely used around the world and yet relatively neglected in the carbon capture and sequestration literature. Experimental tests and theoretical modeling of a hypothetical scaled-up version of the hydroponic greenhouse system using Ipomoea aquatica Forsk as the “stand-in” plant sequesters showed that this greenhouse system can potentially remove an amount of carbon dioxide equal to what fully grown water oak trees occupying the same land area can remove, but in a much shortr time. That is, this greenhouse system can kick-start and augment the sequestration function of the reforestation program. The methodology described in this study can be applied to determine appropriate “stand-in” plants for any kind of tree species that are selected for a reforestation program.

Low Herbivory among Targeted Reforestation Sites in the Andean Highlands of Southern Ecuador.

Insect herbivory constitutes an important constraint in the viability and management of targeted reforestation sites. Focusing on young experimental stands at about 2000 m elevation in southern Ecuador, we examined foliar damage over one season as a function of tree species and habitat. Native tree species (Successional hardwood: Cedrela montana and Tabebuia chrysantha; fast-growing pioneer: Heliocarpus americanus) have been planted among prevailing local landcover types (abandoned pasture, secondary shrub vegetation, and a Pinus patula plantation) in 2003/4. Plantation trees were compared to conspecifics in the spontaneous undergrowth of adjacent undisturbed rainforest matched for height and foliar volume. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that H. americanus as a pioneer species suffers more herbivory compared to the two successional tree species, and that damage is inversely related to habitat complexity. Overall leaf damage caused by folivorous insects (excluding leafcutter ants) was low. Average leaf loss was highest among T. chrysantha (7.50% ± 0.19 SE of leaf area), followed by H. americanus (4.67% ± 0.18 SE) and C. montana (3.18% ± 0.15 SE). Contrary to expectations, leaf area loss was highest among trees in closed-canopy natural rainforest, followed by pine plantation, pasture, and secondary shrub sites. Harvesting activity of leafcutter ants (Acromyrmex sp.) was strongly biased towards T. chrysantha growing in open habitat (mean pasture: 2.5%; shrub: 10.5%) where it could result in considerable damage (> 90.0%). Insect folivory is unlikely to pose a barrier for reforestation in the tropical Andean mountain forest zone at present, but leafcutter ants may become problematic if local temperatures increase in the wake of global warming.

Proposal for nutritional management in Palma of cera (Ceroxylon quindiuense wendl.) low growth condition in vehicular high flow vehicle mesh

The Palma of Cera (Ceroxylon quindiuense Wendl.) belongs to the family Arecaceae presents particular aspects in morphology, making it difficult morphometric analysis of growth patterns. Non-synthetic fertilizers (FNS) have a great potential to increase the competitiveness of forest plants for a variety of reforestation sites, ranging from places to open up avenues field in large cities. However, there is usually a poor knowledge about them. In order to use the FNS successfully should be considered its formulation and its effects on growth variables based on biomass accumulation over time (increase in biomass in the IBT Time, RGR TCR and Energy Efficiency) to it determines the dry biomass of two times, at the beginning and end of the study period. This paper summarizes the evaluation of three doses of organic matter and various research associated with its use. It reveals a difference in terms of fresh and dry mass between the different treatments and the witness showing; also it can be seen that the moisture content in plant tissues of this species does not exceed 50%. A higher rate of relative growth was evidenced in the dose one of Organic Matter and Energy Efficiency regarding the same treatment only in plants 170th Street.

Effects on soil temperature depression in summer under some covering works on the reforestation sites of the tsunami devastated seashore

Effects on soil temperature depression in summer under some covering works on the reforestation sites of the tsunami devastated seashore

Ant Assemblages in a Burned Forest in South Korea: Recovery Process and Restoration Method

In order to identify the post-fire changes of ant assemblages after a forest fire, ants were surveyed at three survey sites (artificial reforestation site, natural reforestation site, and unburned forest site) in a burned forest area for eight years from 2005 using pitfall traps. 24 species were collected, and Nylanderia flavipes was the most abundant. Ant species preferring forest habitats (e.g. Aphaenogaster japonica. Lasius spathepus, and Plagiolepis flavescens) more occurred at the unburned forest site and the natural reforestation site, whereas ant species preferring open habitat (e.g., Formica japonica, Camponotus japonicus, and Tetramorium caespitum) more occurred at the artificial reforestation site. Ordination analysis indicated that ant communities of the artificial reforestation site were more changed compared with those of the natural reforestation site after the fire. The communities of the natural reforestation site were restored to the pre-fire state in five to six years after fire, whereas those of the artificial forest site seemed to take about 25 years to restore.

An Analysis of Turbulent Heat Fluxes and the Energy Balance During the REFLEX Campaign

Three eddy covariance stations were installed at the Barrax experimental farm during the Land-Atmosphere Exchanges (REFLEX) airborne training and measurement campaign to provide ground truth data of energy balance fluxes and vertical temperature and wind profiles. The energy balance closure ratio (EBR) was 105% for a homogeneous camelina site, 86% at a sparse reforestation site, and 73% for a vineyard. We hypothesize that the lower closure in the last site was related to the limited fetch. Incorporating a vertical gradient of soil thermal properties decreased the RMSE of the energy balance at the camelina site by 16 W m−2. At the camelina site, eddy covariance estimates of sensible and latent heat fluxes could be reproduced well using mean vertical profiles of wind and temperature, provided that the Monin—Obukhov length is known. Measured surface temperature and sensible heat fluxes suggested high excess resistance for heat (kB−1 = 17).

Regeneration response of Brazilian Atlantic Forest woody species to four years of Megathyrsus maximus removal

Guinea-grass (Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs – Poaceae) is an invasive C4 grass that known to slow ecological succession in restoration sites. This study aimed to evaluate the responses of the woody species and M. maximus itself to manual removal in a 20-year-old reforestation site. Forty-five 5×5-m plots were established in 2008 and evaluated until 2012. The plots were divided into three treatments: control (CON), manual removal for one year (MR1), and manual removal for two years (MR2). All individuals of woody species >10cm were sampled. Canopy cover, grass cover, and the number of seedlings of M. maximus were also recorded. After the first weeding, M. maximus seedlings were manually uprooted every four months, for a total of three times in MR1 (2008–2009) and six times in MR2 (2008–2010). After the manual removal was stopped, the seedlings of M. maximus were counted and were allowed to grow in order to assess its reestablishment potential. The number of new grass seedlings decreased drastically after the first year with repeated removals and did not differ between removal treatments at any time, even after removals halted, indicating that one year of removal was sufficient to displace the grass. With the exclusion of Guinea-grass, an increase in the abundance and richness of other exotic species was observed until the second year. However, the increase in canopy cover during the four years likely benefited native woody species and impaired M. maximus and other exotics. In addition, after four years, although the woody species richness did not differ between the three treatments, the total abundance and pioneer species richness were higher in both removal treatments. These findings suggest that the grass slows ecological succession. However, both the increase in canopy cover and decrease in grass cover indicate that, in the absence of fire, native vegetation will suppress Guinea-grass. Furthermore, grass removal from the understory of early secondary forests and reforestations can be used to accelerate succession, reducing both fire risk and failures of ecological restoration initiatives.

Identification of Salt Stress Biomarkers in Romanian Carpathian Populations of Picea abies (L.) Karst.

The Norway spruce (Picea abies), the most important tree species in European forests, is relatively sensitive to salt and does not grow in natural saline environments. Yet many trees are actually exposed to salt stress due to the common practice of de-icing of mountain roads in winter, using large amounts of NaCl. To help develop strategies for an appropriate use of reproductive seed material on reforestation sites, ensuring better chances of seedling survival in salt-affected areas, we have studied the responses of young spruce seedlings to salt treatments. The specific aim of the work was to identify the optimal salt stress biomarkers in Picea abies, using as experimental material seedlings obtained by germination of seeds with origin in seven populations from the Romanian Carpathian Mountains. These responses included general, conserved reactions such as the accumulation of ions and different osmolytes in the seedlings needles, reduction in photosynthetic pigments levels, or activation of antioxidant systems. Although changes in the contents of different compounds involved in these reactions can be associated to the degree of stress affecting the plants, we propose that the (decreasing) levels of total phenolics or total carotenoids and the (increasing) levels of Na+ or K+ ions in Picea abies needles, should be considered as the most reliable and useful biomarkers for salt stress in this species. They all show very high correlation with the intensity of salt stress, independently of the genetic background of the seeds parental population, and relatively easy, quantitative assays are available to determine their concentrations, requiring simple equipment and little amount of plant material.

Litter and soil arthropod colonization in reforested semi‐deciduous seasonal Atlantic forests

The recovery of soil ecological processes during the restoration of tropical forests is greatly influenced by arthropods that live in the litter and soil. However, these communities present complex dynamics, and their colonization patterns are not well understood. In this study, we examined the response patterns of litter and soil arthropods to the ecosystem regeneration process by assessing reforestation sites from two regions of São Paulo State, Brazil, and we compared the data obtained from these sites with data from mature forests. We assessed the arthropod communities using similarity indices and high‐level taxa abundance, with the level of forest succession and the locations of the restoration areas as factors. Forest succession correlated with the species composition as communities from the reforestation sites gradually became more similar to communities from the mature forests, while their quantitative patterns were minimally related. Forest maturation positively affected the richness of the litter community and the abundance of some minor groups, such as Protura, Diplura, and Symphyla. The region influenced the species composition but did not influence the manner in which the communities changed during the maturation process. We also found a convergent soil colonization pattern as arthropod communities from different sites became more similar during forest succession. This finding is consistent with both empirical data and theoretical predictions from the specialized literature, although the subject has been poorly explored until now. We conclude that reforestation allows the colonization of soil and litter fauna in a biased manner.

Soil carbon dynamics following land-use change varied with temperature and precipitation gradients: evidence from stable isotopes.

Knowledge of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics following deforestation or reforestation is essential for evaluating carbon (C) budgets and cycle at regional or global scales. Worldwide land-use changes involving conversion of vegetation with different photosynthetic pathways (e.g. C3 and C4 ) offer a unique opportunity to quantify SOM decomposition rate and its response to climatic conditions using stable isotope techniques. We synthesized the results from 131 sites (including 87 deforestation observations and 44 reforestation observations) which were compiled from 36 published papers in the literatures as well as our observations in China's Qinling Mountains. Based on the 13 C natural abundance analysis, we evaluated the dynamics of new and old C in top soil (0-20cm) following land-use change and analyzed the relationships between soil organic C (SOC) decomposition rates and climatic factors. We found that SOC decomposition rates increased significantly with mean annual temperature and precipitation in the reforestation sites, and they were not related to any climatic factor in deforestation sites. The mean annual temperature explained 56% of variation in SOC decomposition rates by exponential model (y=0.0014e0.1395x ) in the reforestation sites. The proportion of new soil C increased following deforestation and reforestation, whereas the old soil C showed an opposite trend. The proportion of new soil C exceeded the proportion of old soil C after 45.4years' reforestation and 43.4years' deforestation, respectively. The rates of new soil C accumulation increased significantly with mean annual precipitation and temperature in the reforestation sites, yet only significantly increased with mean annual precipitation in the deforestation sites. Overall, our study provides evidence that SOC decomposition rates vary with temperature and precipitation, and thereby implies that global warming may accelerate SOM decomposition.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANGROVE SEEDLING GROWTH, NUTRIENTS AND HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN SOIL AT CAREY ISLAND, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

A comparative study in the relationship between mangrove seedling growth and heavy metalconcentrations in sediment was conducted at Carey Island, Malaysia. Two contrasting stations were chosen; naturalhabitat and reforestation site. Avicennia alba and Rhizophora apiculata were chosen as the test species. At thereforestation site, R. apiculata showed higher increments of stem height (1.74cm mth-1) compared to A. alba (1.28cm mth-1), although both species produced 1 leaf per month. On the other hand, A. alba showed better increment ofheight (2.17 cm mth-1) and produced 2 leaves per month in the natural habitat. R. apiculata has very slow growth, atonly 0.65 cm mth-1 and produced 1 leaf per month. Pearson correlation deducted that A. alba showed positivecorrelation in growth with Mg at the reforestation site, and with sulfate and chloride in natural habitat. At thereforestation site, R. apiculata showed positive correlation with Ca and Cu but did not record any significantcorrelation with those elements in the natural habitat.Keywords: Heavy metal, Straits of Malacca, mangrove, nutrients

Scutellospora savannicola: redescription, epitypification, DNA barcoding and transfer to Dentiscutata

An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) was isolated from a south Ecuadorian reforestation site in the vicinity of a pristine mountain rainforest ecosystem. Morphologically, it corresponded with the description of an AMF first described from Cuba as Gigaspora savannicola, before it was placed in Scutellospora. No living culture of this species has been available previously to allow detailed morphological review or DNA barcoding. After comparison of the morphology of the holotype and authenticated specimens with that of the Ecuadorian isolate, it was concluded that they are conspecific. A detailed redescription of the species is provided, including morphological characters not included in the original description, and an epitype is designated. To provide an extended DNA barcode for this AMF species, intraspecific variants of the near full-length small subunit rRNA gene (SSU) and a rDNA region comprising part of the SSU, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region including the 5.8S rRNA gene, and part of the large subunit rRNA gene (LSU) were sequenced. Phylotaxonomic analyses confirmed the classification in the genus Scutellospora sensu lato in a phylogenetic clade that, based on questionable evidence, was considered to circumscribe a distinct genus, Fuscutata. Recently, this genus was merged with Dentiscutata. Consequently, we move S. savannicola (=Fuscutata savannicola = Gigaspora savannicola) to the genus Dentiscutata (Gigasporaceae).